EVENTS

Traditional Tattoos on Turtle Island.

Ink, and a container of willow bark tincture for the subject to sip in order to help reduce inflammation during the tattooing. Photo: Alex Hamer.

Ganondagan, a museum and former village site of the Seneca Nation, held its Tattoo Traditions of Turtle Island event on October 15th in Victor, NY to showcase Iroquoian and other nations traditional tattoos. The event contained presentations on historical tattoos and a live demonstration.

Michael Galban, Washoe/Paiute, curator at Ganondagan opened the event with a presentation on customs of the Northeast Woodland Natives, with an emphasis on Haudenosaunee tattoos, but also touched on Delaware and Cree tattoo traditions.

You can read and see more at ICTMN. I would so love to have another turtle done in the traditional manner.

No, salicin in its natural state doesn’t do that. Willow bark has been used by tribes for thousands of years, in several different ways.

rq:

Suddenly I want a tattoo. I notice a lot of the patterns are similar to a lot of traditional patterns that I know, I wonder if they’d do a cultural crossover tattoo.

I don’t see why not. There aren’t a whole lot of traditional Indian tattoo artists, but there is a revival in indigenous tattooing, so there are more than there used to be, for sure! I’ve put off getting my second turtle because where mine is, and where I want the second one, part of it goes over bone, and electric tattoo guns hurt like crazy bad over bone. Everyone I’ve known who has gone traditional says it’s waaaaaay less painful.